Subject: Newspaper Mulch/add nitrogen?
From: moholt@gardens.com (Carol Moholt)
Organization: The Bay Area Gardener
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 15:58:24 -0700
Message-ID: <MOD$970828.2970@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Hi -- I've been gone the past ten days and just catching up. I notice that
several people have mentioned that newspaper mulch might make sense if one
uses the black and white sections only, and if one verifies that the paper
uses soy-based inks.
My question is about adding nitrogen to the soil to compensate for any
that is used up by the decomposing newspaper. I've checked several charts
and am trying to figure out how much, if any should be added.
For example, I see recommendations for 1 pound actual nitrogen per 10
cubic feet if one adds ground bark, and 1/2 pound actual nitrogen/10 cu ft
for fresh sawdust.
I have found newspaper to be an effective mulch, especially around
established beds with odd heights (often due to dips and bends because
plant roots have raised portions of the bed, or even because of the actual
raised roots themselves.)
What I do is wet the newspaper sections and patiently cover the whole
bed. It's almost like doing a paper mache project -- the wet newspaper
can be "molded" around all kinds of odd shapes and protuberances in the
soil. After I get about a 2-inch layer down, I add something else on top
(so that is looks a lot nicer), like some compost.
What the newspaper mulch does is prevent any weeds from coming through --
it's really been helpful in smothering oxalis, bindweed, spurge and other
nasty weeds in established beds of ornamental shrubs. The seeds sprout
(because I wet the whole area thoroughly) but don't grow. If I keep this
mulch on all season long, I can then dig it into the ground in the fall.
The newspaper works so much better than a layer of plastic in terms of
smothering weeds. Once it has been layered and watered down, it forms a
solid mass. By time it starts to decompose, most/all of the weed seeds
have sprouted and died. This summer I covered the infamous "parking strip"
area in front of our house and even with people walking over it, the
newspaper mulch didn't rip (the case that often happens if one covers an
area with plastic and then a top dressing of compost). With no ripping,
there wasn't any place that a weed could grow.
I'd like to mention soy-ink newspaper in an article I'm writing about
mulch and weed control, but won't be able to if I can't address the issue
of whether extra nitrogen needs to be added, and if so, how much. Can
anyone help me?
Thanks in advance
Carol Moholt